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RSOs: One of the Many Faces of ASU

October 06, 2016

Going to college was never meant to be all about academics.

Robert Garcia Robert Garcia In addition to delivering a quality education and preparing students for their future careers, Angelo State is also dedicated to providing opportunities for students to expand their social and life skills, many of which are learned outside the classroom. Registered student organizations (RSOs) play a key role in those efforts, as well as in attracting students to the ASU campus.

“We have several different categories RSOs can fall under,” said Robert Garcia, student organizations and activities coordinator. “You have special interests, club sports, academics and Greek life, just to name a few. They can range from anything such as playing tennis to something a little more diverse such as animé. There is definitely a wide variety of activities and ways that students can be involved.”

ASU boasts more than 100 RSOs, giving students a multitude of options to get involved on campus, interact with their peers, learn new skills and stay invested in their college experience. All they have to do is sign up, maintain at least a 2.0 GPA and stay out of trouble.



“It can start out in a number of ways,” Garcia said. “Students can come and speak with me—we talk about interests, what they are looking for and what they would like to get out of being in an RSO. Then I connect them with that RSO, whether it be with the faculty/staff advisor or president of the organization, sometimes even just a member of the organization they want to join. I think that’s probably the most impactful way.”

“They can also go to our website,” he continued, “which currently lists every active student organization that’s registered, as well as the president and advisor’s email addresses. Being a part of a student organization allows for students to learn and grow, both academically and out of the classroom with life-skill sets.”

“RSOs definitely allow students to meet new people and create long-lasting friendships. They present students with an opportunity to create memories that really make the university experience what it is.”

Robert Garcia

RSOs are great for helping students learn to manage their time, prioritize their tasks, take responsibility for their actions and coordinate events. Also, thanks to available funding from the Student Organization Leadership Fund (SOLF), students can learn how to apply for, budget and effectively manage money for their organization.

“SOLF allows students to benefit from funding specifically allocated for student organizations for events such as conferences, leadership training and competition,” Garcia said. “Pretty much anything you can think of that would help a student grow outside of the classroom and build on those skill sets that will help them in their future careers.”

Besides teaching important skills, the social opportunities fostered by RSOs are a major factor in encouraging students to persist through to graduation.

“RSOs definitely allow students to meet new people and create long-lasting friendships,” Garcia said. “They present students with an opportunity to create memories that really make the university experience what it is. They help ASU retain students, and allow other students to share with first-year students what they have learned and experienced.

“They help students grow in areas more than just academics.”

The Snap Happy Photography Club is for students interested in photography. The Snap Happy Photography Club is for students interested in photography.

With the continued growth of the university, RSOs remain an important component of campus life, building camaraderie within the increasingly diverse ASU Ram Family.

“I definitely think RSOs are one of the many faces for ASU,” Garcia said. “They really allow ASU to showcase the activeness and the spirit of students in an organized way. They also showcase to prospective students how active they can be, everything they can participate in. And they showcase a sense of unity and family, a sense of pride and belonging.”